A Filtration Question

[goog]

2 large water changes down, and 1 to go (using Scripps sand filtered water).

The next logical step would be to address filtration.

-180 gal FO
-Fish: 2 small chromis, 3 Bengai Cardinals, 3" Stars and Stripes Puffer, 3" Powder Blue Tang, 3" Queen Angel, 2" Coral Beauty and a 5" Yellow Tang in the QT (per Lee's guidance). No plans to add any more.
- Alot of dead rock (lots of caves) aquascaped very nicely, 2" live sand
- Bio fil 1 wet/dry filter 3 chambers (7.5 gal/per), 2 with bio balls, 1 a sump for protein skimmer. Input to wet/dry prefiltered with a filter pad.
- Coralife like protein skimmer (can't find a model number), produces good skimmage, output through a sock required to prevent micro bubbles. Takes up most of the 3rd chamber
- 2 lbs of carbon in media bags in sump.
- 2000 gal/hour system pump
- 2x 1000 gal/hr power heads

I was thinking of adding some Pentair Aquatics in line filters (mechanical/chemical modules) in order to polish the water and free up some space in the 3rd sump for storage of my QT foam filters.

Had this under basic equipment and Ninong suggested I bring it up here since fish only is Lee's speciality.

Comments/suggestions appreciated!

Thanks in advance

[leebca]

I moved the post into its own thread since you had a specific question.

First, some observations:
That Queen Angel isn't in a large enough tank, about 2 years from now. It will next need a 300 for a couple of years, then a 500+ gallon aquarium after that.

"Sand filtered water" only means that particulates were removed from the water. You need to be sure that the water is free of contaminants (not just particulates). Is it RO/DI water? distilled water? or ?

Unsure if skimmer is sized properly, even if there is 'good output.'

You need a mechanical filter ahead of:
the skimmer
the carbon
bio filter pads

Whatever arrangement you can take to accomplish the above is what I would recommend. If the water is coming back to the sump through one or more pipes, consider putting a 100 micro filter bag on the exit of the pipe(s) to act as your primary mechanical filter. Then all you need be sure of is that the display has enough circulation to carry solids to the overflow and into the bag.

The bag should be changed every other day. If they are of strong poly fiber material, they can be washed in a machine (no soap) and reused two or three more time before having to be replaced.

You can use the other device, but it needs to treat all the water, not just run in the sump treating some of the water. This is why a filter bag at the end of the return pipe(s) works so well -- it filters ALL the return water before it gets to the skimmer and carbon and any other water treatments you care to put into the sump.

By the way, the filter bag system is how professional aquarists mechanically filter their marine water in public and private aquariums. They let gravity do the work and don't add in another pump or electrically driven device to perform mechanical filtration. Every removal of a pump is a lowering of electrical costs of operation AND a removal of another heat source.

[goog]

Thanks,

Sorry, Scripps sand filtered NSW.

A well respected LFS suggested moving the bio-balls from the two sump compartments to the return columns (same volume, just tall, versus cubicle). Combine the two outputs from the overflow/return columns and run them through a bag in one of the two chambers formally occupied by bio-balls. This will do a much better job of mechanical filtration (zero bypass) and will free up a sump.

They recomended an ASM G3 skimmer upgrade when able.

Would you run carbon in media bags, through a fluidized reactor, or inline carbon filter?

From my somewhat limited expertise this setup seems as though it would accomplish the required elements; more than sufficient circulation with excellent, bio, mechanical and chemical filtration.

Just trying to do things right the first time (actually the second but that's another story)

Thanks

[leebca]

It sounds like a fine arrangement. The concept is what counts. There are probably hundreds of different ways of accomplishing the same goals!

Just be careful about the skimmer. You be the judge on whether it is sized properly or not. Regardless of what others say, ask to see in writing what the flow rate through the skimmer will be and then determine if that is the right number or above the minimum. (See post).

You don't need to spend a lot of money for carbon filtration. Two fine mesh bags with carbon in each, placed in the sump so that they are in the flow/stream of the water is good enough. If you want, you can buy another pump and media canister filter to put carbon into it. With the two bag system, you just remove and replace one bag every two weeks, alternating the bags, so that each bag remains in about 4 weeks. By this I mean whatever you choose, consider what it will take to keep it maintained properly. Same goes for the skimmer. Almost any skimmer will do the job (when sized properly), pick one that is easy to clean.

[goog]

Will I alter the biological filtration properties of the bio-balls during the move? I understand the concept of the bio-ball but have no clue as to the actual mechanics. Should I move one compartment at a time?

Thanks

[leebca]

Keep them wet or submerged in saltwater. The bacteria will like go into a kind of hibernation until they are in the new setup and it is running for a bit.